Improvement in cider-presses



2 Sheet s-Sheet 2.

T. D. MQOORMIOK. Cider-Press.

No. 220,249. 7 Patented Oct. 7,1879.

ITEDTSTATES PATENTPOFFIGE.

THOMAS D. MCCORMICK, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB OF TWO-THIRDS OF HIS RIGHTTO. HQS. BELDEN AND W. B. BLAKE, OF SAME PLACE, ONE

I THIRD TO EACH.

IMPROVEMENT IN ClDER-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,249; dated October 7, 1879; application filed May 22, 1879.

' a State of Ohio, have invented certain new and :useful Improvements in Cider-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, suehas will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, -which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to animprovement in cider-presses; audit consists in the application of traveling pressure. to the periphery of the pressing-cylinder, whereby the pomace is pressed into cakes on the apron, so thatit will readily peel off without clogging up thepores or the meshes of the apron. i

It further consists'in folding both edges 0 .theapron over the pomace as it falls from the hopper, so as to prevent the pomace from escaping over the edgesiof the apron without being properly pressed. ItLstill furtherconsists in applying friction- .rollers to the under sides of the ends oft'he metallic slats where they bear up against the lower side of the pressing-cylinder, so that, no matter how great the'pressure upon the slats, the -machine will always run easily and smoothly; and it still further consists in arrangement and combination of parts that will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure l is a vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows the difierent forms the belt assumes-first, as it first begins to fold; serond, as it is folded over the pomace and,third, as it begins to unfold and let the pomace drop out. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the friction-rollers.

a represents a suitable frame-work, upon one end of which is placed the hopper b, and in this hopper is the grinding-cylinder c, which is run by a belt from the fly-wheel d on the end of the shaft f. In the upper part of this frame a is journ'aled the large pressing-cylinder 0, which has no other movement than to revolve around by its frictional contact with the flexible apron upon which the pomace falls 'through them into "the spout m.

and .the metallic slats of the endless band which carries the pomace-apron under the cylinder. Upon the opposite end of the frame from the hopper is journaled the driving-shaft g, .which has on one end the large gear-wheel h for driving the shaft f and the pinion for meshing with and driving the large gear j on the end of the shaft 70. This shaft is provided with sprocket or spur wheels 1, for operating the end-less band that is composed of the metallic slats n. These slats are composed of metallic plates, which have large longitudinal slots cut through them, and over these slots are securely fastened fine gauze or other similar perforated material, so as to let the juice, as fast as it is pressed from the pomace, pass The other end of the endless band is passed over suitable rollers on the shaft 0, which is raised somewhat higher than the shaft 70. Inside of this endless band, just under the pressing-cylinder and under its opposite edges, are placed the movable supporting-tracks (1, around which travel the/endless bands of friction-rollers 1 .and upon these rollers rest the ends of the metallic slats n. The supports q are vertically adjustable, and have their pressure upward against the slats and pressing-cylinder rogulated by the weighted levers t. As the weights can be adjusted back and forth on the levers, any desired degree of pressure can be applied to the pomace as it is being passed in between the pressing-cylinder and slats a. Depending from the shaft of the pressing-cylinder are the two hangers a, through the lower ends of which are made holes for the inner ends of these levers t to pass through before they catch under the ends of the roller or shaft 22, which joins the supporting-tracks together. These two hangers form fulcra, upon which the leverst move in pressing the rollers upward, as already described.

By the application of this traveling pressure to the cylinder as the pomace is being pressed, not only is the pomace more thoroughly and perfectly pressed, but it is pressed into cakes on its apron, so that it will readily scale of without clogging up the pores of the apron. The pressure and friction are uniform, no matter how much pomaee is passing through or what the pressure is that is applied to it, and the operation of the machine is rendered more easy and regular. Where this traveling pressure is not used in machines the pomace cannot be naked, and hence it adheres to and clogs up the apron like paste, and soon renders the apron almost useless.

As the pomace drops from the hopper it falls directly into the endless apron 10, which has its two edges folded over toward each other by the two curved rods .22, which are secured to the frame under the hopper. As the pomace drops in between these two turnedover edges the apron is drawn along under the pressing-cylinder by frictional contact, and the pomace is inclosed, as in a bag, so that it cannot possibly escape over the edges of the apron, as is generally the case, before all of the juice has been pressed out. Being thus inclosed, as pressure is applied to the poma-ee the juice runs through the apron and the slats 'n the spout underneath. Where the pomane simply rests upon the apron, as soon as pressure is applied thereto a portion of it escapes over the edges of the apron unpnessed but where the edges of the apron are folded over as shown in Fig. 3, escape is impossible. The pomace being th us held in a mass,a greater and more even pressure is applied to it, and consequently a greater amonutof juice is pressed out.

Just in front of the pressure'roller is a small grooved roller, which prevents the pomace from escaping backward before the pressure of the cylinder can be brought to bear upon it; and on the other side of the cylinder is another small roller, z, which serves to keep the pressure of the cylinder on the apron as long as possible. The apron then passes out over the roller 1 and down around the ro1ler2, still in a lolded condition, and keeping the poinnce within it. As the apron passes along under the machine it is gradually opened out wide again, so as to let the pomacefall oil in cakes, and as it passes up around the rollers 3 and 4 the apron is opened wide out again.

In order to shake oif from the apron all pieces of pomace which may have clung to it, on the end of the shaft 0 is placeda mmvetwheel, 5, which operates the bent and 6, having the spring 7 applied under one end, so as to keep the rod constantly striking against the inner side of the apron, as shown. In this way the apron may be kept perfectly clean, and will never clog.

Having thus described my invention, I claim--- 1. In a cider-mill, a pressing-cylinder, a belt, w, and an endless band composed of slats, the slats being pressed up against the cylinder by any suitable traveling or moving mechanism, substantially as shown.

2. In a cider-mill, a pressing-cylinder, an endless belt composed of slats, endless belts of friction-rollers, and levers for adjusting the pressure upon the pomace, substantially as described.

3. The combination of thesupporti mtg-tracks q, connected together by a rod or shaft, endless belts of friction-nolfiemanovangaround the tracks, and the levers t, :t'u'lcrumed in the hangers u, for pressing the rollers up against the slats 11, substantially as set forth.

4-. In .a cider-mil], the method herein described of nerenlfing the numeric from esoap ing over the edges of the apron by turning the edges of the apron up over the top of the pomaee, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with theapron w, the two curved rods .10, for turning up its edges, substantially as shown.

6. In combination with the apron w, a tappet-wheel, rod 6, and spring 7, for knocking the pomace ofl, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the pressing-cylinder, a roller, g, to prevent the pomaec from moving backward, and a roller, 2, to keep the pressure of the cylinder upon the apron, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of May, 1879.

T. D. MCCORMICK.

Witnesses:

W. S. D. HAINES, F. A. Lemma. 

